Car-seal



Jlo.'689,l 72. Patontad Boa. l7', i90l.,

. S. F. 'ESTELL.

an SEAL.

(Application MIay 81, 1901.) (IoloioL) 4 i .28 m 1 m 02. i .1 iz I 54wnwassss: J [WE/Z312 In! noun min In. mm-u v-n. wuww ro n u n SAMUEL, F.ESTELL, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PATENT OFFICE.

CAR-SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,172, dated December17, 1901.

Application filed May 31, 1901. Serial No. 62,572. (No model-l 'To allwhom it may concern:

'for its objects to simplify the construction thereof, reduce the costof manufacture, and provide an efi'ective seal and one which must bemutilated in removing it from the car.

The invention comprises a sheet metal strap having at one end achambered head provided with an opening for the reception of the otherend of the strap and within which is located a pair of spring-detentsarranged in line and having play transversely thereto, the 7 free end'ofthe strap being provided with a longitudinal slot opening laterallythrough the strap edge for receiving the detents, whereby the strap isheld against removal from the car-door hasp except by breaking the strapor rupturing the seal.

The invention consists in the arrangement of parts hereinafter fullydescribed and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a front view of the seal assembled. Fig. 2 is a sideview of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4is a plan of the seal partially assembled. Fig. 5 is a section on theline 5 5 of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the seal on anenlarged scale, and Fig. 7 is a detail of the locking-spring or detent.I

The seal, as illustrated in the drawings, is preferably made of a sheet-metal strap or band 10, one end of which is provided with a chamberedhead 11. This head comprises the two members 12 and 13, provided withlateral flanges 14 and 15, respectively, and when the seal is assembledthe section 13 is bent over on the section 12 and the parts securedtogether by interlocking the flanges, as illustrated in Fig. 5, anopening or passage 16 being provided between the free ends of themembers.

A tongue or flap 17 of the member 13 is bent back upon the said member,and at its junction therewith is crimped, as at 18, so as to clasp andhold a wire detent or locking-spring 19. This spring comprises thestraight portion 20, having a right-angle arm 21, provided with a shortend 22, parallel with the portion 20. The other arm 23 of thespring-detent is inclined inwardly toward the end 22, and the extremeends 24 and 24 of both arms are bent so as to extend substantiallyperpendicular to the tongue 17 and in a line parallel with the sides ofthe head ll, the arm 23 being shorter than the arm 21, as shown in Fig.7. As assembled the arms of the detent are held by and under the tongueor flap 17, the perpendicular ends 24 and 24 projecting up of v thewhich is beveled or rounded, as shown. To

. insure the latching of the strap, the outer lip of the opening 28 ismade shorter than the slot 27, thereby'providing a hook end 29, v

inner lip, so that an abutment is formed to. 1 V

engage the detent ends. A

In securing the seal the beveled or rounded hook end 29 of the strap ispassed through the opening 16, between the .ends of the members 12aud'13, and meeting the spring-detent 24 1 I pushes it laterallyaway,and the detent finally encountering the abutment or extended lowerwall 3 0 of the passage 28 springs itself through the passage and'intothe slot 27. The movement of the strap being continued, the detent end24 will also enter the slot 27 and the distance between the two detentsbeing greater than the width ofthe passage 28 the strap end will besecurely held against removal.

In order to permit of the lateral play of the detents 24 and 24 and atthe same time pre- 26 of the tongue 17, which is bent back upon itselfand serves as a reinforcement at the junction of the two members 12 and13 of the head 11 to prevent cutting through at that point for thepurpose of manipulating the detents to release the strap.

Auxiliary means for securing the strap end may be provided, consistingof a tooth 32, stamped outfrom the strap 10, designed to engage a catch33, formed by bending the strap 10 into the member 12 at its junctiontherewith and then back upon itself, as illus-' trated in Figs. 3 and 4.

A slot 34 near theend of the strap is designed to project beyond the endof the head 11 when the end 29 is in engagement with the detents, asillustrated in Fig. 1. This slot by the degree of its projectionfurnishes means for indicating to the inspectors at different pointsalong the road whether or not the seal is locked and also if the straphas been broken otf and then shoved back into i the opening in the endof the head 11.

' tongue and the ends of which extend through the slot and are arrangedin line within the head, the end of the strap having a longitudi forreceiving the detent ends.

nal slot opening laterally through the strap 2. In a car-seal, incombination, a strap having a chambered head at one end comprising twoflanged members bent upon each other and having their flangesinterlocked, a tongue integral with and bent back upon one of themembers and having a slot at one edge, a spring-wire detent held by thetongue and having its ends projecting through the slot h thereof, and ina line parallel with the sides of the chambered head, and the free endof the strap being slotted longitudinally for receivprising twoflangedmembers bent upon each other and having their flanges interlocked, atongue integral with and bent back upon one of the members andhavin g aslot at one edge, a spring-wire detent consisting of a straight portionclasped by the tongue and two arms each of which is provided with an endsubstantially perpendicular to the tongue and the said ends projectingthrough the slot in the tongue and in a line parallel with the sides ofthe head, the other member of the head being provided with transverserecesses into which the detent ends extend, and the free end of thestrap being provided with a longitudinal slot having a lateral passageleading thereinto for engaging the detent ends, the distance between thedetent ends being greater than the width of the passage.

4. In a car-seal, in combination, a strap havinga chambered head at oneend, a tongue extending into the head, a spring-wire detent held bytli'e tongue and having its ends extending substantiallyperpendicularthereto, the strap at its juncture with the head being bent into thehead and then back upon itself so as to provide a hook, and the free endof the strap being slotted to engage the detent ends and having a toothor barb for engaging the hook.

5. In a car-seal, in combination, a strap, a chambered head secured toone end of the strap and having an aperture for receiving the other endthereof, and a pair of springdetents arranged in line within the headand having play transverse thereto, the free end of the strap having alongitudinal slot open ing laterally through the strap edge for receiving the detents.

SAMUEL F, ESTELL, Witnesses:

LOUIS K. GILLsoN, ARTHUR B. SEIBOLD.

